Tributary
by PerfectBlondie
Summary: In a blind act of rebellion, Sable leaves her home to follow a strange, handsome tom cat with an odd name who showed up on her father's territory with a group from his 'clan'. Upon reaching his home, a small patch of land circled by deep streams, Sable finds that things are not what they seem. An evil lurks within the heart of the clan, and Sable's the only one who sees it.
1. Prologue Allegiances

**Allegiances**

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** Perchstar - Aging black tom with yellow eyes

**Deputy:** Raincloud - Long-furred silver tabby tom with green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Reedtail - Aging russet tom with green eyes

**Warriors**

Tansywing - Golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Amberpaw_

Elmshade - Gray tabby tom with green eyes

Stoneclaw - Light blue-gray tom with a white-tipped tail, foreleg, blaze, chest, and amber eyes

_Apprentice, Mallowpaw_

Brokenfang - Long-furred black tom with a broken canine tooth and yellow eyes

Mistfall - Blue-gray she-cat with unusual dark blue eyes

Goldentuft - Large golden tabby tom with yellow eyes

Kinkwhisker - Ginger tom with crooked whiskers and yellow eyes

Shimmerpelt - Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Skyfin - Long-furred brown tabby tom with light green eyes

**Apprentices**

Mallowpaw - Dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Amberpaw - Gold and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens**

Dawnstrike - Pale gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, chest, and light green eyes

Ivytail - White she-cat with a gray tail and ears and yellow eyes

Primrosestep - Pale ginger she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

**Elders**

Pebblefoot - Gray tom with a single white paw and yellow eyes

Magpiefeather - Black and white she-cat with green eyes

**Kits**

Sleetkit - Dark gray tabby tom kit with a flattened ear (Dawnstrike's kit)

Hailkit - Dark gray tabby she-kit (Dawnstrike's kit)

Duckkit - Pure white she-kit (Ivytail's kit)

Splashkit - Black and white tom kit (Primrosestep's kit)

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:** Maplestar - Slender, dark russet she-cat she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy:** Graysky - Aging dark gray tom with a white underbelly tom silver muzzle, and green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Specklefoot - Light gray she-cat with darker flecks she-cat and green eyes

**Warriors**

Bluetail - Blue-gray tom with green tom eyes

_Apprentice, Nettlepaw_

Snakefang - Short-furred black tom tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Coldpaw_

Starlingpelt - Black and white she-cat she-cat with yellow eyes

Sunfire - Broad dark ginger tabby tom tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Wasppaw_

Sootfall - Dark gray tom with tom yellow eyes

_Apprentice (temporary), Shallowpaw_

Hazelbranch - Light brown tabby she-cat she-cat with yellow eyes

Ravenwing - Sleek black tom with white paws and green eyes

Nightmask - Black tom with a white face and yellow eyes

_Apprentice, Deadpaw_

Smokepelt - Dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Fawndapple - Light brown she-cat with white blotches and yellow eyes

**Apprentices**

Coldpaw - Black tom with one white paw and amber eyes

Deadpaw - Large dark gray and black tom with amber eyes

Shallowpaw - Fluffy peach and white colored she-cat with yellow eyes

**Queens**

Vixenpelt - Long-legged russet and black she-cat with green eyes and a very plumy tail

Starlingpelt - Black and white she-cat she-cat with yellow eyes

Pebbleheart - Short, plump, fluffy gray she-cat she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

_Apprentice, Shallowpaw_

**Elders**

Lilyfur - Gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Beetlewing - Black tom with a white tipped tail and yellow eyes

**Kits**

Applekit - Reddish-brown tabby tom kit with darker paws (Maplestar's kit)

Nettlekit - Black she-kit (Starlingpelt's kit)

Mossykit - Light gray and white tabby she-kit (Pebbleheart's kit)

Waspkit - Dark gray tabby tom kit with a white underbelly (Pebbleheart's kit)

**WindClan**

**Leader:** Buzzardstar - Long-furred white tom with yellow eyes

**Deputy:** Stormfoot - Black tom with a white leg and green eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Fuzzyleaf - Long-furred black she-cat with amber eyes

**Warriors**

Quickstream - Slender silver tabby tom with green eyes

Bramblepelt - Rough-furred dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Darkspots - White tom with dark gray splotches and yellow eyes

_Apprentice, Oatpaw_

Leafstem - Light gray she-cat with green eyes

Stoatfur - Brown tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice, Petalpaw_

Rosewhisker - Ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Icefang - White tom with light gray toes and yellow eyes

_Apprentice, Echopaw_

Jaggedstripe - Dark brown tabby tom with a broad stripe down his flank and amber eyes

Snowberry - White she-cat with faint gray spots, a dark pink nose, and green eyes

Sandywing - Pale ginger tom with green eyes

**Apprentices**

Oatpaw - Tall, skinny brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Echopaw - Small light brown she-cat with faint tabby markings and green eyes

**Queens**

Lightpath - Light brown she-cat with a cream underbelly and green eyes

Thornfur - Dark brown tabby she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes

**Elders**

Jackdawclaw - Black tom with green eyes

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Shiningstar - Gold tabby she-cat with white paws and green eyes

**Deputy:** Pricklepelt - Ragged-looking black tom with yellow eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Redfern - Ginger tabby tom with a dark muzzle and amber eyes

_Apprentice, Flaxfur_

**Warriors**

Mottleclaw - Mottled black and brown tom with amber eyes

Brightleaf - White and brown she-cat with green eyes

Cherrynose - Ginger and white she-cat with a very pink nose and yellow eyes

Thrushwing - Dark brown tabby tom with a white belly and green eyes

Foxtail - Long-legged ginger tabby tom with a bushy tail and yellow eyes

Whitefang - Long-furred black tom with a white muzzle and amber eyes

_Apprentice, Jigsaw_

Rowanfur - Dark brownish red tabby tom with yellow eyes

_Apprentice, JoJo_

Mandy - Jet-black she-cat with unusual dark blue eyes and a bluish-gray nose

Lennie - Gray tabby tom with accentuated markings and yellow eyes

Jaggedcreek - Dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Lightglow - Gold and white tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices**

Flaxfur - White she-cat with light and dark gray patches and green eyes

Jigsaw - Tan and white tabby tom with amber eyes

JoJo - Skinny, limber Siamese she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens**

Juniperberry - Black and white she-cat with green eyes

Mintcloud - Gray she-cat with a white muzzle and cheeks and green eyes

**Elders**

Sparkclaw - Faded flame-colored she-cat with dark green eyes

Littlerock - Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Fernstripe - Gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**Kits**

Morningkit - Small white she-kit (Mintcloud's kit)

Patchkit - White tom with black splotches (Mintcloud's kit)

**SkyClan:**

**Leader**: Pouncestar – Pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes

**Deputy:** Littlebreeze– Small brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat:** Brackenfrost– Dark brown tabby tom with unusual blue eyes

_Apprentice, Cloverpaw_

**Warriors:**

Twigberry– Pretty light gray she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Blackclaw– Large white tom with a single black paw and yellow eyes

Plumleaf – Black she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentice, Stonepaw_

Oakclaw– Brown tom with amber eyes

Silverthorn– Silver tabby tom with yellow eyes

_Apprentice, Larkpaw_

Flintfur– Black tom with a white underbelly and green eyes

Jayclaw– Light gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Cloverpelt– Black she-cat with a white muzzle and yellow eyes

Dustfur– Brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Fallowleaf– Gray tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Cloverpaw - Tall, slender black she-cat with a white underbelly and amber eyes

Stonepaw - Light gray tom with white paws and green eyes

Larkpaw - Light brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**Queens:**

Goldenpelt– Gold tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Yarrowclaw– Dark gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**Kits:**

Volekit - Tan she-cat with yellow eyes (Yarrowclaw's kit)

Talonkit - Black tom with yellow eyes (Yarrowclaw's kit)

**Elders:**

Crowtail – Black and white tom with yellow eyes

Softcloud– Once soft pure white she-cat with amber eyes

**Cats Outside the Clans**

Missy - Pretty, long-furred white she-cat with blue eyes

Ellen - White she-cat with ginger tabby splotches and green eyes

Stella - Long-furred mostly-white calico she-cat with amber eyes

Omen - Large, broad, scarred black tom with dark brown patches and amber eyes

Ivy - Lean, pure black she-cat with a white muzzle and amber eyes

Pike - Lean, muscular short-furred tabby tom with white paws, a white chest, and striking yellow eyes

Sable - Black dappled dark gray she-cat with yellow eyes

Red - Large, dark red tabby tom with green eyes

Agouti - Dark gray tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

Harley - Rough-furred, big cream tom with dark brown points and blue eyes

Mac - Brown tabby tom with green eyes

Marble - Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Dottie - Satiny white she-cat with small black patches and dark amber eyes

Taffeta - Satiny black she-cat with amber eyes

Maestro - Plump white tom with small black patches and amber eyes

Nimbus - Small light tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes

Chalk - White tom with green eyes

Tex - Peach-colored and white tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

0

The soft rhythm of the waves gently brushing against the silty shore echoed behind the small circle of cats that sat beneath a rotting dock. Filtered moonlight provided minimal lighting through the old wood planks. His eyes glowed like fireflies in the dark, determination burning within them. His mate sat beside him, her expression mirroring his own. She spoke, her voice elegant yet firm. "Raincloud is right, Shimmerpelt. You must do this for the good of RiverClan, your father cannot be StarClan's voice to the clan without sacrificing his position."

Shimmerpelt stared at her paws, her discomfort clear, even in the cover of night. "I don't want to lie to my clan. I'm not a medicine cat and I don't want to pretend to be one."

Raincloud spoke next, his words smooth and cool, "you wouldn't be lying, Shimmerpelt. RiverClan would still hear the words StarClan wants them to hear. This is just an extra step. Our clan needs me to lead them, Shimmerpelt. If I step down to become a medicine cat, who will take my place? Perchstar is old, half the time I'm the one who speaks on RiverClan's behalf at gatherings. He can't hardly keep up with clan leader duties anymore. Whoever replaces me as deputy would be our next leader for certain. Not to mention, Reedtail is nearly as old as Perchstar and has no successor. RiverClan needs a strong leader and a dutiful medicine cat, and there is no reason for our family not to take those positions."

The pretty silver tabby took a slow breath, clearly in deep thought as she mulled his words over. Meekly, she asked, "can't Kinkwhisker or Skyfin be the next medicine cat? I know Perchstar and Reedtail are old and that StarClan needs to pass on messages to us, but does it have to be me?"

Raincloud gave a slow shake of his head, "your brothers have different purposes in saving our clan from collapsing. You are the only cat I trust to do this. Shimmerpelt, you are the most well-spoken, kind-hearted, and selfless she-cat in all of RiverClan. There is no other cat who can do this effectively. Please, be StarClan's voice for RiverClan."

Shimmerpelt stilled, her ears flattened against her skull and her eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Perchstar really doesn't believe your messages from StarClan?" She asked, finally looking up to meet his gaze.

"I'm afraid not. Perchstar is senile now, Shimmerpelt. He won't listen to anyone but Reedtail about messages from our ancestors; he thinks I'm lying, that I'm being unfaithful to StarClan and RiverClan. He's lashed out at me each time I bring up my visions and messages. Perchstar is beyond reason now, Shimmerpelt. You need to become his voice of reason in his final few moons he has left as leader."

"But I wouldn't even be a full medicine cat, Raincloud, I'd just be an apprentice. Besides, I'm your daughter, wouldn't he notice if I started telling him the same things you've been trying to tell him?" Shimmerpelt asked, some worried skepticism seeping into her voice.

"Don't be silly, Shimmerpelt. You're a beautiful, young she-cat with an incredible gift to speak with our ancestors. Perchstar won't treat you as he has treated me." Raincloud told her, his soft gaze reassuring.

"He's right, Shimmerpelt. As a pretty, charismatic she-cat, you won't have any troubles getting through to crazy old Perchstar. Just become Reedtail's apprentice and RiverClan is saved." Her mother urged her.

Shimmerpelt shifted uncomfortably on her haunches at her parents' praises. She closed her eyes before giving a brief, hesitant nod.

"Okay, I'll do it."


	2. 1

1

Cicadas shrieked over the constant babbling of the stream. Sunshine bore down from the cloudless sky on the landscape, hardening drying mud and giving the water a blinding sheen. Dark gray ears shooed hungry biting flies away. She was in a crouch, her long body slinking along the banks as her yellow eyes scanned the pebbles that lined the water's edge. Some were well rounded into near-perfect circles, others had yet to round out and continually jammed themselves into her paw pads. Most were a dull, dusty-looking gray.

The black-dappled dark gray cat paused at the sight of something far more intriguing. Though sharp, it was brown and clear with a river-like shine to it. It wouldn't be appropriate for Tex, but it was near perfect for herself. She approached it, her pink nose gently touching one of the edges as she sniffed at it. It smelled foul, most of them did at first, but the shiny shards would lose its stench eventually. Careful not to let the sharp parts slice her mouth, she picked the large brown shard off the bank and trotted eagerly into the reeds until she reached the water. It was cool and pleasant against her burning pelt, earning an excited shake of her fur before she slipped in. The brown shard was halfway submerged as she swam, crossing to the other side quickly.

She didn't bother to shake the water off, breaking into a joyful run as she burst through the reeds and into the golden field behind it. Her tall bush waited patiently in the distance, spurring her on. It didn't take her long to reach her spot. She set the brown shard down, then went to the base of the bush, carefully pawing at the ground until a familiar glint caught her eye. Though it pained her to cover her treasures in dirt and crunchy leaves, it was the best way to keep them away from prying eyes and safe from the elements. Red would never let her bring her shiny shards to the living area.

The dark colored she-cat uncovered her collection of shards, eyes gleaming with pride as she examined them. Though dirty, her prizes were beautiful. All were transparent to an extent, all were shiny and smooth on the sides, and they varied in color and size. In addition to brown ones, there were green, yellow, red, and blue shards. She set her newest brown shard in with the others, admiring it for a moment before going back to looking at her other shards. Most of her things were brown, but she still saw each one as precious.

She nosed her collection around a bit more, careful to avoid pricking her nose on the sharp edges. Then, she reluctantly reburied her shards, tucking them close together around a tangle of roots and burying them in the rotting debris from the bush. The black dappled she-cat went back to the bank, a spring to her step as she did so. She couldn't go back to the living area without getting a new trinket for Tex, Nimbus would never let her hear the end of it. Tex was a sweet kit, the only surviving kit of Nimbus's, and she was always bouncing around the living area. She didn't mind doing things for little Tex, even if she found Nimbus to be shrill and annoying. Of course, even if it weren't for Tex and Nimbus, she would have never skipped an opportunity to go to the stream by herself.

Once she crossed the stream again, the hunt for Tex's perfect trinket continued. Nimbus told her to find something large, round, smooth, and colorful. A tall order. She had never seen a colorful pebble but would look anyway; she expected to return with one of the black pebbles she'd come across every so often.

Nearly as soon as she resumed her patrolling of the bank, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Sable! Sable, wait up!"

The chime of Taffeta's meow had Sable pausing. She turned her head and spotted her group-mate. The small, satiny-black she-cat came bounding towards her, feathery-tail held high with excitement as she did so.

"Hi, Taffeta," Sable greeted with a purr, ignoring the disappointing pang in her chest over the unexpected company.

Taffeta caught up easily, skidding to a stop beside Sable. "What are you doing here?" Sable asked, her eyes light with amusement at Taffeta's fluffed-up coat.

Amber eyes bright, Taffeta answered, "Oh, Nimbus mentioned to Red that you were out here looking for something that Tex might like to play with and he thought it'd be nice if I went with you! Dottie almost came along, too, but then big, stupid Harley asked if she'd like to go on a walk with him." She snorted after mentioning Harley, her ears flattening momentarily, "So you know how that went. Still don't know what my sister sees in that dumb brute."

Annoyance flared in Sable's chest and she had to fight a scowl from forming. She should've known better, her lone adventures by the streams around the living area were almost always short-lived once Red found out about them. Red never wanted his precious daughter out alone for too long, if at all.

Still, Sable couldn't bring herself to be cross with Taffeta. The satiny she-cat was kind hearted and didn't deserve to hear Sable complain about having her as company. Sable bit her tongue and forced another happy purr. "That's great, it was getting a bit lonely out here anyway."

Taffeta glowed at Sable's words, "I can imagine! Running around outside of the living area is only fun with a friend, at least that's what I think. So, find anything for Tex yet?"

Though Sable disagreed, she didn't voice it. Her ear twitched casually, "no, so far it's just the same little gray pebbles she already has. Nimbus keeps asking for me to get something big and colorful, but I don't think she understands how pebbles work."

Taffeta purred in laughter, "I can't even think of the last time that she-cat left the living area! I'm sure when she pictures the stream, she imagines there being all of these perfect, colorful stones and can't understand why you always bring back the dull gray ones! But that's alright, I'm sure we can find a nice thing for Tex to play with, even if it is another gray pebble. I looked at her collection before I left to find you, so I have an idea of what she already has."

"She's getting so spoiled," Sable said, doing her best to keep Red's overbearing nature out of her thoughts, "I can't wait for her to be old enough to start getting things herself."

Taffeta scoffed. "With Nimbus as her mother? Right!"

"Hey, a she-cat can dream, Taffeta. Now, I was looking for a black pebble to change things up a bit, you know? Gray and black are about as colorful as the pebbles get here." Sable told her friend.

Taffeta looked thoughtfully at the bank, scanning the pebbles for any sort of color diversity. "I guess so, or we could just go back with nothing and tell Nimbus to get her own kit's trinkets. I wouldn't feel all that badly about not coming back with anything, Tex has plenty."

As much as Sable wanted to agree, she knew guilt would claw at her if she didn't at least try to find something worth-while for the peach-colored kit. Even if she really didn't need anything, much less another stone to roll around. Maybe she and Taffeta could find a feather or a pretty butterfly's wing to bring back instead?

"She does," Sable responded, "and Nimbus is a pain in the tail, but Tex is a sweet kit. I don't mind getting her things from time to time."

"Yeah, from time to time. Not every day!" Taffeta exclaimed, her gaze flickering to Sable briefly, "Tex isn't your kit, Nimbus shouldn't be sending you out on these little quests. For a while, Nimbus was sending Dottie and I out to get Tex her play-things, but then Dottie went off to moon over stupid Harley and I put my paw down and just told her no. You don't tell Nimbus no, so now you're doing her job for her instead of me and Dottie."

Sable's fur bristled slightly, but she was able to pass it off as a small shiver as she walked alongside Taffeta. "Well what else am I going to do? If not for Nimbus, Red would have me sitting in the living area doing nothing all day every day. I'd rather have the excuse of Tex needing something to play with."

Taffeta purred, "you know, most cats would like getting to lounge around and have other cats bring them prey."

Sable scoffed, "yeah, for a few days it's nice. Try sitting around and doing nothing forever though and then get back to me on that."

Taffeta gently bumped her face against Sable's shoulder in affection, "yeah, I guess it would." She pulled away, eyes bright, "but you're not in the living area now, are you? So enjoy it while you've got it."

With a flick of her fluffy tail, Taffeta playfully bounded away from Sable along the bank. Sable couldn't help but purr at Taffeta's antics, momentarily shoving her resentments elsewhere, and hurried after her.

Tex skidded across the ground with an excited squeak, eyes huge as her new round, black pebble rolled beyond her reach. Sable made a dramatic jump after the pebble, obviously missing it intentionally by a long shot. Sable sprawled herself out beside the pebble as it stilled, crying out, "oh no! Tex, it's too quick! I can't catch it!"

The fluffy, peach-colored kit pounced at the pebble, barely snagging it with her paw. "I've got it, Sable, I got it!" She exclaimed, her fur fluffing up with excitement as the pebble was pinned beneath her tiny paw.

Sable breathed a fake, exaggerated sigh of relief, "nice job, there's no way I could've caught that one." She rolled to her paws, shaking dust out of her pelt once she stood.

The black, dappled she-cat looked fondly at Tex as she animatedly beamed at the older she-cat, pride shimmering in her big eyes. "I know! You're so slow, Sable, how did you even find it if you're so slow?"

"I don't know," Sable played along her, "I just got lucky I guess."

Tex purred in response and began to bat the black, smooth pebble around once more. Sable did her best to keep her attention on Tex, but she could feel her father's gaze burning through her pelt; she knew he wanted to talk to her, and she had a feeling she already knew what it was about.

Once the pebble was tumbling around Tex's play space, Sable rejoined her, batting the stone back to the kit whenever it strayed too far. Red continued to scrutinize the two, his tail beginning to twitch with impatience. Sable eyed him nervously, ears flattening momentarily, as she played with Nimbus' kit, knowing she would have to face him soon.

She forced a pleasant, interested expression toward little Tex as the kit enthusiastically batted the pebble back to her. Sable caught the pebble with ease, exaggerating her movements to keep her interest in the game, then passing it to one of her group-mates. The slight-bodied tortoiseshell was grooming, balancing haphazardly on her rear with a hind leg in the air in mid lick when the pebble knocked into her. She let out a startled grunt and nearly toppled over at the sudden contact, surprise making her pupils larger and her fur fluff up until she realized what it was.

She gave Sable a look of bewilderment, "what was that for? I almost fell right over, Sable!"

Sable chose not to answer her group-mate and gave a shaky purr as she prepared herself to leave to talk to Red. "Go get Marble, Tex! She's got your pebble, don't let her keep it!"

Tex didn't question the change of playmate and charged Marble as quickly as her little legs would let her. Marble leapt out of the way, her tail bushy as she avoided the kit; Tex didn't seem to mind her lack of enthusiasm and continued to bat the pebble around as she danced around poor Marble's paws. "Hey!" Marble yowled, "what are you doing? Stop it, I'm not playing with you, Tex!"

Seeing that Tex had moved on to Marble, Sable sighed and begrudgingly walked in Red's direction. When she was about a tail-length away from him, Red gestured for her to follow him. Her head couldn't help but hang lowly and her tail limply dragged on the ground behind her as she followed her father. Red noticed her sloppy expression and a low growl of irritation left his throat, "stand up straight, Sable, you aren't a kit, you're a full-grown cat, act like it."

An unhappy rumble sounded from Sable's chest, but she did as he asked, lifting her head and tail ever so slightly to feign some dignity in her unpleasant situation. Red still looked displeased but didn't comment on anything else until they reached his den, which was located in a huge, fallen, rotted-out oak log that marked an edge of the group living space. Sable's mood dipped further at the sight of her mother, Agouti, waiting gloomily at the mouth of the den entrance. Both knew what this conversation was going to entail.

Red stepped past his mate and into the rotted-out log. Agouti sighed and gave Sable an apologetic look before following after Red. Sable paused outside before regretfully going into the den after her parents.

Light seeped in through cracks in the log, giving the otherwise pitch-black space some visibility. The earthy scent of rotting wood surrounded Sable and gave her some comfort, bringing her back to when she and her littermates still lived in there with her parents. Despite the homey scent, Sable didn't relax in the slightest.

Red's green eyes pierced the dark space, narrowed in disappointment. His voice was low and harsh, "you went in the water."

Sable's mouth felt dry and she somehow managed to stiffen her body more. Agouti remained silent, gaze fixed at the floor. The space was eerily silent, then Sable's bright yellow eyes locked with Red's. Then she spoke, her meow quiet but firm, "I did."

Though she couldn't see it, she knew Red's hackles were bristling at his daughter's words. "Why? Why would you do that? Go off by yourself without telling anyone and dare to set paw in that death-trap of a river?"

"Nimbus knew." Sable said.

Red bared his teeth, "that means nothing, Sable! Nimbus cares about Nimbus, Sable, you know that! You could've gone missing and Nimbus might not mention you going to the river alone for at least a moon after that! You tell me where you're going. Actually, no. You ask if you can go somewhere. You have no business visiting that horrible place. If you need water, you go to stream behind my den, you don't go to that river!"

Sable's tail subconsciously wrapped itself tightly around her body, but she found it in her to hold her father's gaze. His harsh words seemed to freeze her in place, whatever bravery she might've had earlier was gone. To her relief, Agouti stepped in.

"Red, you can't keep trying to control her. Sable is a very capable cat and needs to be able to make decisions for herself." Agouti said, her voice strong and level in a way Sable suddenly envied.

His eyes tore away from Sable's to glare at his mate's, his lips curling up into a snarl. "I let you make decisions for yourself for a time, and you lost them. Sable is too much like you for me to trust to make correct decisions."

Agouti flinched in the dark, her eyes clouding in shame; any fire within her melted into smoke. The short dialogue gave Sable time to gather herself, and she jumped to her mother's defense. "You can't keep holding their deaths over her head, Red! Do you think she wasn't upset about it? That she still isn't upset about it? This isn't how you deal with death, father."

Red hissed at Sable, "I shouldn't hold 'it' over her head? Sable, your brothers are dead." He rose to his paws, stalking aggressively toward her. "Until you know the pain of losing your kits to something completely preventable, you can't tell me how I should be acting, Sable."

"Mother and I lost them, too, you aren't the only one who grieved them! Stop acting like you're the only one who suffered when they drowned!" Sable surprised herself, spitting the words out as an unfamiliarly intense anger filled her.

"You were young!" Red snapped, his eyes glowing with anger and accusation, "you barely knew them, I doubt you even remember what they looked like! Do you even remember their names?"

Sable bristled. "Actually, I do remember them!"

"No, you don't, Sable! You think you do, but you don't. Any memories you think you have of them are made up just like everything else in this fantasy world you've created for yourself to live in!" Red went on, "Sable, your life isn't a game, you can't keep assuming everything will be alright all the time, you can't keep assuming that you can keep up with the river current!"

She blanched at her father's harsh words, her heart clenching with hurt and anger. But still, she managed a response. "I'm not living in a fantasy world and I am a good swimmer."

"Well Agouti was supposedly a great swimmer and look what-"

"Stop!" Agouti shouted, stepping swiftly between Red and Sable. Her eyes were a whirl of emotions, with grief and regret standing out most to Sable. Agouti's voice shook, but held some firmness to it, "It's all my fault, I know. I let Van, Seal, and Sable play too close to the water's edge too soon, and I live with that knowledge every day."

An uncomfortable quiet followed Agouti's interruption. Sable's heart pounded and she glanced at Red's face. No fury had left his stance and his glowing eyes still cut through her like glass.

"Sable, you will not be going back to that river, is that understood?" Red finally spoke.

Sable looked shamefully at her paws as she contemplated her answer. She wanted to revolt, to tell him he couldn't control where she went anymore, but any defiance she had seemed to have left her body by then. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but muttered, "yes."

Red curtly nodded in approval at Sable's response and signaled for her to leave with a single sweep of his tail. The motion of his tail barely registered in Sable's vision, but she still got the signal and hastily retreated, leaving Agouti and Red to themselves.

Sable wasn't sure if it was Taffeta shifting around against her or the growing pressure in her bladder that woke her up that night. Squinty-eyed, she yawed and subconsciously stretched, moving Taffeta as she did so.

Groggily, Sable stiffly moved away from Taffeta and stood. Careful to avoid stepping on any of her fellow group-mates, Sable left the sleeping area and went toward the dirt-place that sat a few paces outside of the living space. After she did her business, she let out another yawn and shivered when a cold gust of air filtered through her fur. The quiet roar of the river sounded in the distance.

Sable was ready to leave, when an unfamiliar scent wafted toward her. Any exhaustion Sable felt was gone in an instant and her body straightened in awareness. Her jaws parted ever so slightly, taking in the scent once again. It was foreign cats, at least three.

Sable glanced hesitantly behind her where her group slept, where Red and Agouti slept. She thought about waking Red and telling him but could only imagine the reaction. Would he really believe she just went to the dirt-place? Her pelt rippled in discomfort at the thought of having another confrontation with him so soon after the last one. Sable briefly considered going back to Taffeta and getting her to join her in investigating, or even just to go back to sleep and pretend that she didn't catch those scents.

The black tabby put those ideas to rest and carefully proceeded in the direction of the smells. She moved quickly but quietly, taking extra care not to step on loose twigs and branches as she went.

The new cats weren't far from the living space, and they were moving with the subtlety of a group of badgers. Sable had no trouble finding them and staying out of sight. There were five total, a pale gray she-cat walked alongside a silver tabby she-cat with a brown tabby tom, a ginger tom, and a blue-gray she-cat just behind them. The pale gray she-cat wore a look of focused annoyance and gave an impatient look to the nervous-looking silver tabby beside her.

"Does this look like the place? Does anything, anything at all look familiar to you?" The pale she-cat asked.

The silver tabby stammered, looking around anxiously, "u-um, maybe?"

From behind, the blue-gray she-cat huffed. "What do you mean? We've been walking for days now, Shimmerpelt, does this look familiar or not? Magpiefeather might be dead by now we've been gone so long."

The brown tabby spoke next, "hey, leave her alone, I'm sure we're close and that Magpiefeather isn't dead. It's dark out, how's she supposed to tell if it looks familiar or not?"

The pale she-cat stopped at that, and spoke exasperated, "well then can you just tell us what to look for, Shimmerpelt? What does it look like? Are the flowers big? Little? White? Red? Did you see them by trees or rocks or were they in a meadow? Help us out, please."

Eyes light with interest, Sable listened eagerly. If they needed to find a particular plant, then she was certain she could provide some help. Despite Red's reluctance to allow her outside of the living space, Sable still knew many of the local plants and where to find them in the immediate area. She lifted a paw, wondering when she should make herself known to the newcomers.

The silver tabby, Shimmerpelt, awkwardly shifted on her paws under the scrutiny of the pale she-cat. "They're purple flowers, um, they, uh, they have long petals and there, uh, was a big clump of them. I don't think they were by any trees."

Sable's eyes widened. She knew just what she was talking about, the flower she mentioned didn't have a name, at least not that she knew of, and grew in a field on the other side of the river near where her shards were stashed. Her tail twitched with excitement at the prospect of proving herself useful, even if it was to total strangers she likely would never see again after that night.

A growl rumbled from the pale gray cat's throat, "you think? Shimmerpelt, you said you had this dream over and over again!"

Shimmerpelt flinched, and the brown tabby stepped in again. "Dawnstrike, cut it out." He looked kindly at the silver tabby, "don't worry, you're doing great. I'm sure we're all just a little bit tired. Maybe we can call it for tonight and get some rest."

The pale she-cat, Dawnstrike, huffed at his suggestion but didn't look opposed to it. She scanned the four other cats that accompanied her, taking in their tired, sloped appearances. She sighed and looked at the nervous silver tabby, "alright. Maybe you'll have a dream again that'll lead us closer to the stupid herbs so we can go home. At this rate, I'm going to miss Sleetkit's and Hailkit's apprentice ceremony."

The ginger tom scoffed. Dawnstrike whipped her head in his direction with a defensive glare. "What?"

He looked as though he was going to retort, but the fluffy brown tabby subtly nudged his shoulder. His whiskers twitched, "oh, nothing."

The group went tense for a heartbeat, Dawnstrike glaring heatedly at the ginger tabby, who looked equally annoyed. To Sable's relief, the pale she-cat dropped whatever issue the ginger tom seemed to bring up. She suddenly sounded tired to Sable when she spoke again, "this seems like a fine place to sleep for tonight. Let's scrape together some moss and bracken and try to get some rest."

Sable's ears twitched as she continued to watch them with rapt attention. They didn't move far, opting to nestle against the nearby trees as they scraped meager amounts of bracken together to serve as uncomfortable nests that made Sable's bones and joints ache just looking at them.

"Who's taking the first watch?" Dawnstrike asked, looking pointedly at the ginger tom who'd scoffed at her not too long before.

The ginger tom glared back at her but said nothing. Sable was certain the pale she-cat would force him to do it, when the fluffy brown tabby spoke up.

"I'll do it." He answered, his tone bright despite his apparent tiredness.

Begrudgingly, the pale she-cat curtly nodded at him before giving one last fierce glare at her ginger companion. "But you're taking second watch."

The ginger tom huffed but didn't protest. He flopped over on his thin bracken nest so his back faced the irritable she-cat. The blue-gray she-cat purred in amusement at the exchange and gently laid her head on her paws, her mood seemingly lifted from her earlier irritation. The silver tabby, Shimmerpelt, relaxed at that and also settled down, though she still seemed a bit uncomfortable and nervous to Sable.

The brown tabby gave Shimmerpelt a reassuring lick on the top of her head and said something to her, but it was too quiet for Sable to make out. Whatever it was, it seemed to reassure her enough to curl into herself and half-close her eyes as she prepared to sleep.

Sable continued to stare as they all settled further into their make-shift living space, but her eyes tended to spend more time on the brown tabby. His coat, though long and fluffy, had a sleekness to it that shone in the moonlight and he carried a confident posture. His eyes were a pale green that glowed softly through the dark and Sable subconsciously wished they'd meet her own yellow ones. From what she'd witnessed, he was a kind and positive cat and that drew her in.

He had moved closer to Sable's hiding place, his gaze vigilantly scanning the area for threats as the night wore on. Sable knew she ought to head back then and tell Red about the odd band of cats, but her paws seemed content where they were. She felt a twinge of impatience after watching for nearly a full quarter of the night, earning a swish of her thin black tail. Her whole body tensed at the loud, obnoxious noise that came after her tail unintentionally swept a clump of sticks and dead leaves. The brown tabby's head snapped in her direction. Sable held her breath and stilled herself, but her eyes remained wide and fixed on his form.

Then, his eyes found hers from her hiding place in the bushes. Neither of them moved a muscle, both just staring at each other. Sable had no doubt that he could see more than the bright, yellow glow of her eyes. After what felt like an eternity, the brown tabby broke eye contact and calmly turned his back and went towards his group-mates. Her breath hitched. Now, all five of them would hunt her down now, and though she knew the living space wasn't far from there, she'd probably be taken down before she got there; they were as loud as a bunch of badgers, but they looked powerful and more than capable of catching her.

Her pelt bristling with fear, Sable darted away with a rustle. Her mind went blank and her paws took her speeding dark form away from the living space and towards the river.


End file.
